Pablo de La Llave facts for kids

Pablo de la Llave (1773–1833) was an important Mexican Catholic priest, politician, and naturalist. He was a very smart person who studied many things. He is remembered for his work in government and for discovering new types of plants and birds.

Early Life and Studies

Pablo de la Llave was born in 1773. He came from a rich family in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. He was a very good student and had a great university career.

He became a teacher at the national college of St. John Lateran. He also earned a special degree in theology from the University of Mexico. Pablo de la Llave was known as a great preacher. He even translated some texts from the Hebrew language.

Time in Europe

After his studies, Pablo de la Llave traveled to Europe. He lived for a while in Paris, France. Later, he moved to Madrid, Spain.

In Madrid, he worked at the Museum of Natural History. He was the deputy director there. From 1811 to 1812, he helped José Mariano Mociño. They worked together to organize collections from the Nueva España Expedition. This expedition studied the natural history of Mexico.

From 1820 to 1821, he represented the state of Veracruz in the Spanish legislature. This was like being a member of parliament in Spain. He was known as a liberal thinker during this time.

Return to Mexico and Politics

When Mexico became independent, Pablo de la Llave returned home. He held important positions in the church. He was the treasurer of the church in Morelia, Michoacán.

By 1823, he became the Minister of Justice. He also handled church matters for the government of Agustín de Iturbide. In 1824, Mexico's first president, Guadalupe Victoria, chose him for his new government. He also served as a senator for Veracruz.

Pablo de la Llave was a republican and a liberal. He followed the ideas of another important priest and politician, Miguel Ramos Arizpe.

Discoveries in Biology

Pablo de la Llave was also a very important scientist. He worked with Juan José Martínez de Lejarza. Together, they were the first to study the orchids of Michoacán in a scientific way.

In 1824, they published a book. It described about 50 different kinds of orchids. In 1826, he was chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a very old and respected group of thinkers and scientists.

In 1831, La Llave was chosen to lead the National Museum of Natural History of Mexico. He also studied birds. In 1832 and 1833, he wrote papers about birds for a Mexican science magazine.

He described and named several new birds. Two of the most famous were the rufous-tailed hummingbird and the amazing resplendent quetzal. These birds were new to science at the time. Because the magazine was not widely known, he did not get credit for his discoveries for many years.

Legacy

Pablo de la Llave passed away in July 1833 in Córdoba. His nephew, General Ignacio de la Llave, was also a famous person.

A type of fern was named in his honor. It is called Llavea.